Trying to get back in the swing of things! Today was my long day at the gym! I started off with spinning from 8:30-9:30 and followed it up water aerobics from 9:45-11:00. I am EXHAUSTED! I so enjoy it but it definitely wears me out! I think part of the problem is I'm not eating enough. I do spinning from 5:30-6:30 am Monday, Wednesday and Friday and then spinning and water aerobics Tuesday and Thursday. Then I do spinning Saturdays from 9:00-10:00 am. I also try to make a second trip in the evenings and lift weights, but after my workouts I'm so hungry! I like to do my morning cardio on an empty stomach, I've heard it's called fasted cardio and that's what I prefer. However, not eating at all until 11:00 am those days is difficult. Typically i will scramble eggs and eat a greek yogurt most mornings but as to what to eat after that I am lost. My spin instructor is also my water aerobics instructor and she's AMAZING! She is precious, she stopped me in the locker room and shared some of her snack with me because she knew I hadn't eaten which was very sweet of her! While on the subject of refueling, because lets be honest that IS the point of eating, I have felt a little lost in the world of clean eating and nutrition. There is so much to consider! How much do I eat and when? Do I do several small meals? What's going to help me lose weight but still fuel me for my grueling workouts? The list of questions goes on and on! I have been reading a lot and trying to educate myself but it seems everyone has a different opinion, so what's a girl to do? In steps my sweet and dear friend Krista who is my fitness ANGEL! She's like a fitness knight in shining armor but better! I've known her for several years, she lived 2 doors down from me in the dorms at University. She is a beautiful girl inside and out and she began her fitness transformation a few years ago. She is very dedicated and knowledgeable! She has competed in figure competitions and is well on her way to earning her pro card! She happened to message me today and spent the afternoon educating me on what to eat and how to know what works for me. She answered all of my questions and helped me more than I can say! She is incredibly busy and I'm so touched that she took the time to teach me so much! I would like to than her from the bottom of my heart! She has been an amazing friend, she constantly encourages me and checks on me on a regular basis and she's always sending me ideas and helpful hints. She has helped me more than I can say. If you read this Krista I am SO GRATEFUL for you and your help!!!! Haha perhaps the title of this post should have been "Dear Krista" :) I am so excited to start implementing everything she taught me, I have already started to see amazing changes in my body with my workouts and I know that what I have learned about structuring my diet will take me to the next level. Krista always says "commit to be fit" and I think that's a perfect way to look at it :) I am 100% committed! I love my workouts and I feel so much better now that I don't have to constantly stress over what to eat. It's very stressful when you're working out this much and you're constantly starving! I did go and get a southwestern wrap after the gym and it was amazing! I was so hungry at that point in time though that I could have eaten a truckload! I would also like to let you know about my other fabulous fitness friend Caitlin. She has a wonderful facebook page where she posts healthy recipes and fit living tips. She posted a great article on how to incorporate more veggies in to your breakfast. Here's the link: http://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/more-vegetables-for-breakfast?sub=2530941_1520987 Thanks Caitlin!I think that's everything I wanted to cover today! I thank y'all for reading and I hope you'll come back tomorrow :) Thank you again to the lovely Krista! I'd also like to thank my sweet friend Samantha for joining me on this journey and for always letting me bounce ideas off of her and for encouraging me always! I love both of you! You know I'd love some feedback! Tell me, what's your favorite workout routine?
Goodnight lovelies,
S
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Back In Action
Talk about a blogging sabbatical! My poor blog has been severely neglected this last year :( SO many things have changed since my last post but for the sake of brevity I will keep it simple. Since moving to the south I spent some time living in Atlanta and Chattanooga, met so many wonderful people along the way and I am now back living in California! This summer I made TWO cross-country drives, spent a month in Chicago (which happens to be my new FAVORITE city!!!) flew to Florida, spent a week back home in the mountains and have been trying to acclimate to my new city. WHEW!!! I've been a busy bee and I have loved every second of it. While it is nice here I don't see Turlock being my forever home. I desperately miss Chattanooga and my friends there, but I also desperately miss a very special family now in Chicago, and I desperately miss my best friend and favorite people in my mountain home, to say I feel pulled in several directions is an understatement. But for now I am where I am so I'm embracing it. Actually, I have to give a special shutout to my dear bestie Samantha for inspiring me to jump back in to blogging! Thanks Sam, you're the best :) I know she wants to start a blog soon and I can't wait to read it! A couple of the topics I would like to start including on this blog are my diet and fitness journey, mostly because it will keep me accountable and also because I'm committing to being fit, and fitness now plays a large role in my daily life. However, I think that's a good point to start off tomorrow. Now y'all know where I've been for the last year! Oh and while we are on the subject of shout outs I'd like to once again wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely Mama! Technically it was yesterday but we like to celebrate birthday weeks in my family :) More to come tomorrow, including my gym updates, changes in my diet, my seemingly never ending career search, my quarter life crisis and my dread concerning turning 25 in 7 days!!! Exciting stuff to come so I hope you'll stay tuned!
Until tomorrow lovelies,
S
Until tomorrow lovelies,
S
Monday, July 2, 2012
New City, New Experiences, New Life
Hi y'all!
This is my first official post from my new home in Atlanta, Georgia! What a crazy few days! I don't even know where to begin. You may have noticed that I have changed the title of my blog to Suddenly Southern. I was trying to find a way to incorporate my Southern transition into this blog and I thought the title change fit perfectly. In the last few days I have seen my new home, met some wonderful people, hung out at a luxury car dealership, been to another state and learned many new "Southern-isms". We left Reno on Friday first thing in the morning. Checking in for a one-way flight was a new experience. Our layover in Vegas was definitely interesting, our flight to Atlanta was delayed which was a bummer, but we managed. I was so excited to find a Coffee Bean in the airport, I LOVE their white chocolate ice blended coffee. Let's just say that it was a one of a kind experience. The barista who made my coffee decided he was working at Coyote Ugly and proceeded to flip my coffee in a circle and bounce it off of his arm and in to his hand. Needless to say, it didn't work! THe coffee splattered everywhere (including on my pants!) and he then spends the next 8 minutes helping other customers and treating me as if his stupid stunt was my fault! That didn't sit very well with me or any of the other customers at the counter! Eventually our flight landed in Atlanta and holy heat wave Batman was it hot outside! Apparently we moved during a heatwave that has set record-breaking temperatures for most of the East Coast...Yay? Saturday my phone showed the temperature at 106 degrees! It never got that hot back home, that's for sure. I also had my first glass of sweet tea, and let me tell you it was S-W-E-E-T! Oh man was it sweet, I will probably have to start ordering my tea unsweetened and sweetening it myself! I'm not so sure how well that will go over locally :) I also got to spend part of Saturday at the Audi dealrship of North Atlanta, I caught a ride with a friend's clients back to Chattanooga to see my Mom, who by the way should be referred to as Mama according to every Southerner I've met so far, which I have no problem with. Did you know that the Audi dealership has it's own cafe? I didn't! This couple I met there were so nice! They were buying a surprise Audi for their son, who is starting college in the fall. Don't get too excited, I already asked if they wanted to adopt me, they aren't accepting new children at this point in time. I so enjoyed riding to Chattanooga with the wife, she was very delightful. We saw our new house and met some of the neighbors. The house is lovely and everyone in the neighborhood seems very nice. Chattanooga is also experiencing this heatwave so I haven't spent much time outside, but so far I have noticed how GREEN everything is in the South! It's very pretty here. I've also learned that all soda is coke, sweet tea is VERY sweet, you cross state lines NEVER borders and whatever you do, DO NOT go outside if it is 106 + degrees in the South, at least, not if you can help it. Oh and there is a very bizarre bug here that buzzes in large groups at night that sounds like an electrical transformer multiplied by 20, apparently that's normal here! I have never heard a sound like it in my life. I've also seen the site of the Olympic torch from the '96 Summer games, as well as the site of the Olympic Village dormitories which was really cool. I've also seen the stadium where the Braves play, I should really learn the name of that field, and that even though the speed limit on the freeway in Atlanta is 55-65 everyone drives 80 mph and up. As you can see, I've had quite the education the last few days in Southern ways, and I'm still trying to adjust to the time difference. I should probably give myself more than 3 days to adjust. I changed the name of this blog to Suddenly Southern because I couldn't think of a more appropriate way to describe the current state of my life. I'm very excited to see where this new adventure takes me! I promise to upload some of the pictures I've taken soon.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
Sarah
This is my first official post from my new home in Atlanta, Georgia! What a crazy few days! I don't even know where to begin. You may have noticed that I have changed the title of my blog to Suddenly Southern. I was trying to find a way to incorporate my Southern transition into this blog and I thought the title change fit perfectly. In the last few days I have seen my new home, met some wonderful people, hung out at a luxury car dealership, been to another state and learned many new "Southern-isms". We left Reno on Friday first thing in the morning. Checking in for a one-way flight was a new experience. Our layover in Vegas was definitely interesting, our flight to Atlanta was delayed which was a bummer, but we managed. I was so excited to find a Coffee Bean in the airport, I LOVE their white chocolate ice blended coffee. Let's just say that it was a one of a kind experience. The barista who made my coffee decided he was working at Coyote Ugly and proceeded to flip my coffee in a circle and bounce it off of his arm and in to his hand. Needless to say, it didn't work! THe coffee splattered everywhere (including on my pants!) and he then spends the next 8 minutes helping other customers and treating me as if his stupid stunt was my fault! That didn't sit very well with me or any of the other customers at the counter! Eventually our flight landed in Atlanta and holy heat wave Batman was it hot outside! Apparently we moved during a heatwave that has set record-breaking temperatures for most of the East Coast...Yay? Saturday my phone showed the temperature at 106 degrees! It never got that hot back home, that's for sure. I also had my first glass of sweet tea, and let me tell you it was S-W-E-E-T! Oh man was it sweet, I will probably have to start ordering my tea unsweetened and sweetening it myself! I'm not so sure how well that will go over locally :) I also got to spend part of Saturday at the Audi dealrship of North Atlanta, I caught a ride with a friend's clients back to Chattanooga to see my Mom, who by the way should be referred to as Mama according to every Southerner I've met so far, which I have no problem with. Did you know that the Audi dealership has it's own cafe? I didn't! This couple I met there were so nice! They were buying a surprise Audi for their son, who is starting college in the fall. Don't get too excited, I already asked if they wanted to adopt me, they aren't accepting new children at this point in time. I so enjoyed riding to Chattanooga with the wife, she was very delightful. We saw our new house and met some of the neighbors. The house is lovely and everyone in the neighborhood seems very nice. Chattanooga is also experiencing this heatwave so I haven't spent much time outside, but so far I have noticed how GREEN everything is in the South! It's very pretty here. I've also learned that all soda is coke, sweet tea is VERY sweet, you cross state lines NEVER borders and whatever you do, DO NOT go outside if it is 106 + degrees in the South, at least, not if you can help it. Oh and there is a very bizarre bug here that buzzes in large groups at night that sounds like an electrical transformer multiplied by 20, apparently that's normal here! I have never heard a sound like it in my life. I've also seen the site of the Olympic torch from the '96 Summer games, as well as the site of the Olympic Village dormitories which was really cool. I've also seen the stadium where the Braves play, I should really learn the name of that field, and that even though the speed limit on the freeway in Atlanta is 55-65 everyone drives 80 mph and up. As you can see, I've had quite the education the last few days in Southern ways, and I'm still trying to adjust to the time difference. I should probably give myself more than 3 days to adjust. I changed the name of this blog to Suddenly Southern because I couldn't think of a more appropriate way to describe the current state of my life. I'm very excited to see where this new adventure takes me! I promise to upload some of the pictures I've taken soon.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
Sarah
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Time Flies and Big Changes
I can't believe I haven't blogged since July! How crazy is that? I have been so busy that blogging has definitely been on the back burner! So many things have happened it's hard to know where to begin to catch up. I am currently going through everything I own trying to de-clutter and downsize and it is very overwhelming!!! Through this whole process I'm shocked at how quickly time flies. Going through stuff from my childhood up to my first couple of years of college brings back a lot of memories, some good, some bad and some GREAT but it's a very bittersweet and therapeutic experience. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time but haven't made time to do so. I'm also amazed at how much stuff has accumulated over the years! Some of the stuff I'm throwing out makes me think "why on earth did I keep this?" but at the time it seemed imperative to hang on to. If anyone out there has any clutter removal tips and/or organizing tips please leave a comment below with your suggestions! I suppose the reason I have started this process is because I have no choice. My family is moving from the house we are currently living in so now I'm forced to make changes. I'm also facing some other major changes in my life that I'm really excited about! I wish I could share more but right now I have to keep a few things to myself. I will say that this is one of the biggest changes I have ever faced, but I think it's for the best! I'm excited, nervous and overwhelmed all at the same time, which is a very interesting combination of emotions to feel all at once. I truly think this change will be for the best and marks a whole new chapter opening in my life! As soon as I can share more I will. I probably should get back to sorting my things but for now I'm going to watch some Friends and go to bed. I'll do my best to post tomorrow and hopefully make more sense! Hahaha don't blog while tired, it's not a good mix :)
xoxo,
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
It's Here!!!
I'm so excited! All of my P90x stuff arrived today, can I get a YAY? Haha, I am a little sad to report that I did not get started today as I had planned. I didn't realize there was a whole video to watch before getting started and some reading and planning involved. There is a very detailed nutrition plan to follow with three phases and three options to follow the plan based on what works for you. The nutrition guide alone is 114 pages! So I need to read through that and watch an introductory video as well. I'm getting ready to watch the video now, I'm jazzed and nervous at the same time lol. There is also a 100 page fitness guide I need to go through and apparently there are some worksheets I need to print out as well. Phew! I'm already getting a workout trying to get through all of the material they sent. Do you want to hear something pretty cool? I also got two free bonus workouts from my P90x coach which is pretty awesome. I wasn't going to post anything tonight but I did say I was going to start today and I'm doing my best to be truly accountable during this program, so here is tonight's post, it's not quite what I thought it would be but it's a start! Right? I am hoping to start over the next couple of days but with work and everything I need to do before working out it will most likely be Monday that I start. Which works, it's the start of a new week and the start of a new program and the next step on my journey to a whole new me :) So I'm off to watch the videos and do some reading but I promise to do my best to keep you posted every step of the way! Keep your eyes open for a new post tomorrow night.
Until then, sweet dreams and sleep tight!!!
xoxo,
S
xoxo,
S
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Shameful
I am a shameful blogger! I can't believe my last blog post was in January... yikes!!!! On the other hand, things have been crazy busy in my little life so it is what it is I suppose. However, I'm really going to try my best to blog everyday because I am starting something new that I'm really excited about! First, I should probably give a little background, since March I have really changed my diet and my exercise habits and to date I have lost about 25 pounds. I'm so excited, I can't believe I have gone own a whole size. I am so loving the difference in my energy level and the way I feel about myself but I still have a ways to go before I reach my goal, which brings me to my new program that I'm going to start. I'm equal parts terrified and excited to begin... don't laugh but as of tomorrow I'm starting P90x! That's right, that crazy infomercial for extreme home fitness sucked me in! The infomercial is very effective and convincing! It's hard to resist wanting to look super fit like the people they show on tv, now I know what you must be thinking, did those people really follow that specific program? I can't say for 100% sure but I did a lot of research on the internet and most people have had an amazing experience with P90x! So I figured, why not? The results on those people are incredible and hard to ignore! I can't wait to start tomorrow. Why tomorrow? Well, I ordered it last week and it should be waiting on my front porch by the time I get home from work tomorrow. I know I can do it, but it still is a bit intimidating for me. My goal is to follow the program for the next 90 days and blog about my journey daily, here you will see it all, I'm taking the good, the bad and the very ugly! It is my goal to be completely honest and upfront about the program and I'm really hoping this blog can help me track my progress. Who knows, I may even feel brave enough to post before pictures! In reality, those will probably be posted with my (hopefully) AMAZING after photos :) that way they won't be quite as embarrassing... but I haven't decided yet. I'm hoping to hit my goal weight and size at the end of the next 90 days so I hope you will stick with me over the next 90 days and see the transformation happen! I have a great P90x coach and I know that I'm on my way to a better body and a better me, and I can't wait to get started!
Until then, sweet dreams and sleep tight!!!
xoxo,
S
xoxo,
S
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Aaaannnndd We're Back!
Ok, so before I get in to this I know that I have been a major blogging slacker! A bad, bad blogger! I don't know how 3 months have passed without posting anything, the only thing I can think to say is that life just gets complicated! It has been an interesting few months with some definite high points! Christmas was wonderful, UNR WON their bowl game and here we are in a brand new year! The new year always seems to be a time of reflection for me and the rest of the world, and I am always eager to make changes for the coming year. Each year it seems I set "resolutions" and then break them, it is a very frustrating feeling. I have decided that this year will be the year I change that! I'm going to be honest, I have been feeling very frustrated and disheartened lately. There are many things I would like to change about myself, I have been feeling like I have been waiting for my life to begin. It finally dawned on me that the only way things will change will be if I change them myself! I am the only one who can change my life, I have so many dreams and goals and I am ready to start living. The first change that I want to make is that I finally want to live healthier and get rid of all of this extra weight. This is hard to admit but for a very long time I have been so unhappy with the way I have looked and felt and I am finally ready to change all of that! So the changes have started today, I am completely changing the way I eat and that begins with a lifestyle change. Not only that, but I will be starting a new exercise regimen and this will finally be the year I stick with it! After a lot of thought I realized that blogging about my journey, along with the ups and downs that are sure to come my way, will be a huge help, it will make me accountable and maybe, if I'm lucky I can inspire someone to embark on the same journey. I feel so ready to begin and I have faith in myself and know that I can do anything I put my mind to. Of course diet and exercise are not the only goals I am looking to accomplish this year, I would like to get back to UNR (here's hoping that my financial aid comes through!), I am so ready to be back on campus, I have truly missed being at school. I want to deepen my relationship with the Lord, my faith is so incredibly important to me! I want to learn to cook and I would love to travel somewhere amazing. I want to take an aerial silks class once I am in shape, volunteer more and I want to finally start to learn to speak Russian. I have so many things I want to accomplish with my life and I feel that this is just the beginning! I have so many thoughts racing through my head right now, perhaps I will be able to better articulate them tomorrow, but I thought that if I don't make the commitment to do all of this right now, then I might just let everything slip away and that is not something I am prepared to do. My journey starts now and I hope you all will stick with me. Look out world, here comes a brand new me!!! I am ready to jump in to January :) Life is an adventure, it's a great adventure and tomorrow will be a beautiful day! Check back tomorrow for an update on the days activities.
Until then, sweet dreams and sleep tight!!!
xoxo,
S
xoxo,
S
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)